Sewing machine



L. F. FALES SEWING MAciuNE Mrch 29", 1927. 1,622,774

Filed March 24. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 11 "III/(Ill, 4

INVEN+DV March' 29 1927. 1,622,774

| F. FALES v SEWING MACHINE Filed March 24. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVIiN-LUY:

2. 4 ma 1 mbfiimfi wwm March 29, L: F, FALES SEWING MACHINE Filed March 24. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 29, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,622,774 PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS F. FALES, F WALPOLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SEWING MACHINE.

Application filed March 24, 1924. Serial No. 701,249. 1

' her of units adapted for simultaneous operation on the work may be readily included in a single machine and spaced as closely together as may be desired, said mechanism being of simple construction and capable of smooth operation at high speed by reason of the elimination of all cams and levers and the employment'in lieu thereof of continu ously rotating eccentrics or equivalent parts, it being understood that where the term eccentric? is hereinafter employed it is intended to include any equivalent revolving part, such, for example, as a crank pin.

plates the PIOVlSIOIl of improved stitchforming mechanism' comprising a needle motion wherein the needle is caused to partake of the feeding movement of the work while in engagement therewith, thereby permitting the employment of a continuous feed as is highly desirable when operating upon heavy work, in combination with looper mechanism including a looper and means for moving the same with the needle as the latter moves with the work, and also thereabout in the stitch-forming operation, the movements of said looper following a closed path in which the succe'ssivepositions thereof are parallel, so that the spacing of the stitchforming units is limited only by the thickness of the looper plus the necessary clearance.

The foregoing and other objects of the in vention, together with means whereby the same may be carried into effect, will best be understood ffrom the following description of one form or embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings." It will be understood, however, that the particular mechanism described and shown has been chosen for illustrative purposes merely, and that the invention, as defined bythe claims hereunto appended, may be otherwise practised without departure from its spirit and scope. 1 I

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal secfor example, as quilted mathe needle,

. thread A and More particularly the invention contem-f .ample, the loop 72 tion of a sewing machine having stitchforming units embod ing the invention, one of said units being slZ Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the looper mechanism,

showing also the presser foot, and the lower endsof the needle andpresser foot bars.

"Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on the line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged diagrammatic view f the seam formed by the machine as viewed from the under or looper side of the work. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are diagrammatic views illustrating the co-operation ofthe stitchforming elements in the formation of the seam. I

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the movements of the looper.

The seam formed by the machine herein shown 15 diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 4: as comprising an upper or needle a lower or looper thread. 13. The needle thread is passed through the needle holes C in the work W in a successs'ionof loops a a a, lying on the underside of the work, the intermediate portions d of saidthread lying on the upper side of the work. The looper thread B is also formed in a succession of loops 6, 6 b, lying entirely terial and each of which extends through one of the loops of the needle thread A and about the next succeeding loop. Thus, for exof the looper'thread B passes through the loop a of the needle thread and about the loop a of thelatter thread, said ,loop a passing through said loop 11 Referring to Fig. 1, the frame ofthe machine is not shown in full but may be of any desired width and comprises a suitable number of transverse members, six of which are shown at 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18, upon which the elements of the ,several stitch forming units are supported in their proper positions transversely of the machine. Each of said stitch-forming units comprises a needle 19, a .presser foot 20 and a looper 21.

In addition to the transverse frame members, the machine includes transverse shafts 22, 23, 24 and 25. adapted to receive power from an suitable source, not shown, and

from which theseveral instrumentalities are operated, all of said shafts being continuously driven, and the shafts 23 and 24 having fixed thereon a pair of feed rollers 26 by own in side elevation.

on the underside of the mawhich the work W is fed continuously through the machine.

The upper stitch-forming instrumentalities of each unit are carried by a bracket 27 adjustably secured to the frame member 16, as by a bolt 28, while the lower stitchforming elements are carried by a bracket 29 having a dovetailed engagement with the transverse frame member 18 and adjustably secured, as by a bolt 31, to the frame member 17 and carrying a Work supporting or bed plate 32.

The presser foot 20 is carried by a presser foot bar 33 guided for vertical movement in the bracket 27 and pressed against the work by a spring 34, said presser foot being manually raised by means of a cam lever 35.

The needle 19 is carried by a needle bar 36 vertically movable in a guide 37 pivoted at 38 to the bracket 27. The needle thread A is supplied from a cop 39 carried by the transverse frame member 15, said thread passing through suitable guides 40 and 41 on the bars 14 and 15 to a tension device 42 carried by the needle bar 36 and thence through the eye of the needle to the work.

The needle bar 36 has rigidly secured to its upper end an eccentric strap 43 surrounding an eccentric 44 on the shaft 22. The arrangement is such that the movement imparted to the needle bar by the eccentric 44 as indicated by the broken line n on Fig. 1, has a vertical component, causing the needle to penetrate and be withdrawn from the work, anda horizontal component, causingthe needle to be swung about the axis of the pivot 38 so as to follow the feeding movement of the work when in the latter. In other words the eye of the needle at its lower end is caused to move in substantially an elliptical path into and out of the work, the mayor axis "of this ellipse being substantially vertical. The tension device 42 enables the needle bar to act as a take-up which tightens each stitch upon the upward movement of the needle bar.

The looper thread B is supplied from a suitable source, not shown, and passes through a tension device 45 on the frame member 13 and thence through a suitably disposed thread guide 46 and about a takeup 47 (hereinafter more fully described) to the looper 21. Said looper 21 is formed with a hook-shaped end provided with a thread guide 48 (Figs. 5 to 7) and having at itsend a perforation 49, the thread B passing from the guide 48 through the perforation 49 to the work.

The looper 21 is mounted in a carrier 50 in the form of a rocking slide carried by a rod 51 disposed parallel to the shaft 25 and supported at its ends in arms formed on the bracket 29, said slide being pivotally mounted on said rod to rock in a direction longitudinal of the machine, and having a limited bodily movement in a direction longitudinal of said rod or transverse to the machine. The looper carrier 50 is rocked about the axis of the rod 51 by means of an eccentric 52 on the shaft 25, said eccentric being surrounded by a strap 53 having a stem 54 pivotally connected with said carrier by means of a pin 55 projectin from the latter. The take-up 47 is carrie by the stem 54 so to partake of the movements of the latter. The looper carrier is moved bodily on the rod 51 by means of an eccentric or crank pin 56 on a shaft 57 disposed perpendicular to the rod 51 and shaft 25 and journalled in a bearing 58 formed on the bracket 25), said eccentric or crank pin engaging a bearing block 8 which is received between a pair of spaced shoulders 60 formed on said carrier. The shafts 25 and 57 are connected by bevel gears 61, whereby the eccentrics 52 and 56 are inter-geared for rotation in unison. the angular positions of said eccentrics on their respective shafts being such that when the rocking movement of the looper by the eccentric 52 in either direction is at a maximum, the bodily movement thereof by the eccentric 56 will be at a minimum, and vice versa.

The formation of the stitch by the instrumentalities above described is illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8. In Fig. 5 and at 1 in Fig. 8 the looper 21 is shown as rocked'in its loop-taking movement into substantially its extreme forward position and also as moving bodily toward its extreme left position, as viewed from the front of the machine, and as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the needle at this time being atsubstantially the upper limit of its movement. In this position the hooked end of said looper is shown as having been passed through a loop a of the needle thread A formed by a previous descent of the needle, carrying through said loop a a loop 12 of the looper thread B. The needle 19 then descends, as shown in Fig. 6. the looper 21 at the same time moving rearwardly at the left side of the needle to open or shed the loop b and said needle passing through both of the loops a and b During this operation the needle moves rearwardly in the direction of feed, and the looper moves with it, the movement of the looper. however, being sufficiently in excess of that of the needle to cause the former to ass the latter. The looper 21 is then moved toward the right to the opposite side of the plane of the needle, causing the thread of the loop 6 to be wrapped about the needle and about the needle loop a so as to pass the latter through the former, as indicated in Fig. 7. The needle then starts to rise, leaving behind it a second loop a of needle thread, and the looper 21 is rocked forwardly at the right side of the needle, as shown at 1 in Fig. 8, to pass a second loop I) of bodily .cessive positions assumed looper thread through said loop a The needle then rises, and when the looper approaches substantially its foremost position, it is again moved bodily toward the left into the position shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, thus completing the cycle of operations. During the ascent of the needle and the forward rocking movement of the looper, the takeups 42 and 47 operate to tighten the stitch.

The path of movement of the looper, as viewed in plan, is diagrammatically illustrated at Z in Fig. 8, wherein n indicates the path of movement of the needle and n and 71 its forward and rearward limits of movement respectively. From this figure it will be seen that the looper moves, always in the direction indicated, by the arrow and without reversal, in a closed, substantially elliptical path surrounding the path of movement of the needle and that the sucby the hook portion of said looper are all parallel to the direction of feed and consequently to each other. The ellipticity of this path depends upon the relative throws of the eccentrics 52 and 56, while the direction of its major axis depends upon the relative setting of the gears 61. These elements are so designed and relatively arranged that the longitudinal movements of the looper are suflicient to effect the loopshedding functions thereof and also to permit the same to pass laterally in front of the needle when the latter is in foremost position and laterally behind the needle when the latter is in its rearmost position, while its lateral movements are just sufficient to permit it to clear the needle on its longitudinal movements while passing as closely thereto as practicable. The movements of the looper, produced by the eccentrics 52 and 56, are harmonic, and no reversal of movement is involved, so that the mechanism will run smoothly at high speeds. Since the looper is not turned or rotated on its axis, so that all of its positions are parallel, it will be,

scenthat the 'needles and loopers of adjacent units may be set substantially as closely together as may be desired, the spacin ot' the needles being limited only by the thickness of the looper plus the necessary clearance. Finally, it will be seen that these results and advantages are secured by a very simple and inexpensive construction and arrangement of parts not subject to without reversal in a closed disarrangement or requiring careful adjustment.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- I 1. In a sewing machine, in combination, a needle, means for feeding the work substantially continuously independently of said needle, means for moving said needle toward and from the work to penetrate the latter and in the direction of feed to cause said needle to move with the work while in engagement therewith, a looper cooperating with said needle, and means for moving said looper without reversal in a closed substantially elliptical path surrounding the path of movement of the needle.

In a sewing machine, in combination, means for feeding the work, a needle, means for moving said needle toward and from the work to penetrate the latter and in the direction of feed to cause said needle to move with the work while in engagement therewith, a looper having a hooked end coop crating with said needle, and means for moving said looper in the'direction of feed and also in a direction transverse thereto While maintaining said hooked end parallel to the direction of feed in all positions.

In a sewing machine, in combination, means for feeding the work, a needle, means for moving said needle in a substantially elliptical pathto penetrate the work and move with the same while in engagement therewith, a looper having a. hooked end cooperating with said needle, and means for moving said looper without closed substantially elliptical path surrounding the path, of movement of the needle while maintaining said hooked end parallel to the direction of feed in all positions.

4. In a sewing machine, in combination, a substantially straight needle means including a pair of rolls for feeding the work substantially continuously independently of said needle, means for reciprocating said needle toward and from the work to penetrate the latter and for swinging the same in the direction of feed to cause said needle g to move with the work while in engagement therewith, and'means for moving said looper substantially elliptical path surrounding the path of movement of the needle.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

LEWIS F. FALES.

reversal in a 

